Apparatus for the continuous washing of cloth



Sept. 27, 1955 APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS WASHING 0F CLOTk I FiledMarch 21 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l Har ow E. W 319 NM Md Sept. 1955 H. R.WILCOX 2,718,773

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS WASHING OF CLOTH Filed March 21 1951 sSheets-Sheet 2 Iawezaioa'h Wold 12. Wiicoac,

flior ney Sept. 27, 1955 H. R. WILCOX APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUSWASHING OF CLOTH 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 21 1951 Irweiaio.H'aHoZdE. W as,

flfiior iae u Sept. 27, 1955 H. R. WILCOX 2,713,773

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS WASHING OF CLOTH Filed March 21 1951 6Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.8.

Har ow E. Wz'icoac,

Sept. 7, 1955 H. R. WILCOX 2,718,773

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS WASHING OF CLOTH Filed March 21 1951 6Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 27, 1955 H. R. WILCOX 2,713,773

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS WASHING 0F CLOTH 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FiledMarch 21 1951 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS WASHINGOF CLOTH Harold R. Wilcox, Maynard, Mass., assignor to Riggs &

Lombard, Inc., Lowell, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationMarch 21, 1951, Serial No. 216,694

Claims. (Cl. 68-27) This invention presents a novel and improvedapparatus for the continuous washing or liquid treatment of clothparticularly in the manufacture and finishing processes where suchtreatment is repeatedly required. Preferably the lengths of cloth arefed through the apparatus in rope form. In this type of apparatus acontinuous series of tanks is usually required through which the clothsuccessively passes with the first tanks of the series supplied withsoap or other detergent and the latter tanks with rinsing water and itis desirable to feed the liquid into the last tank of theseries andcause it to pass therefrom successively into and through the precedingtanks therefor in a direction opposed to the travel of the cloth.

The object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus in which allthe tanks of the series are mounted on the same level and dependenceupon the gravity flow of liquidfrom each tank to the next preceding tankis eliminated. i

The object of the invention is further to provide means for securing andmaintaining any desired levelof the liquid through which the clothtravels in each tank.

The object of the invention is further to provide the tank with a mainwashing chamber through which the cloth travels and an auxiliary chamberfrom which the liquid is pumped to the preceding tank.

' The object of the invention is further to secure the flow of theliquid from each tank by pumping means and more particularly by a seriesof independently driven pumps. 7

C These and other objects and features of the invention will appear morefully from the description and drawings and are defined in the claims.

The apparatus, the preferred form of which is illustrated in thedrawings, comprises a series of units of the general type employed forsuch purposes. The number of the series may vary considerably inaccordance with requirements and usually ranges from four to nine, withthe first units using soap or suitable detergent and the latter units arinsing water. Since the construction of each unit is substantially thesame it is not necessary to illustrate the entire series andconsequently a portion of the series has been broken away.

Each unit is of that type in which the cloth is fed between a pair ofsqueeze rolls. The cloth after first passing through the squeeze rollsis guided down into the bottom of the tank, thence up between the usualseparating and stop motion fingers, again between the squeeze rollsdowninto the tank and then back again in spiral form and'discharges fromthe unit through a speed controlling mechanism to the next unit.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view, in more or lessschematic form, of the apparatus with an intermediate portion of theseries of units broken away;

' Fig. 3 is a detail in transverse section of a portion of the baseshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view on a larger scale in side elevation of one unit and aportion of the preceding unit;

"ice

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation, looking toward the left of the completeunit shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail in vertical cross section taken on the line 6--6 ofFig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view in horizontal cross section taken on the line 7-7 ofFig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view, partially in vertical transverse cross section, takenon the line 88 ,of Fig. 9, of a portion of one of the units illustratingthe partition;

Fig. 9 is a view in vertical cross section of the construction shown inFig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation, and Fig. 11 an end elevation, of a portionof a unit equipped with another form of means for controlling the speedof the feed of the cloth;

Fig. 12 is an end elevation with the middle portion broken away, andFig. 13 is a side elevation partially broken away of a portion of one ofthe tanks on a larger scale than Fig. 4.

The several units of the series, as shown in Fig. 1, are preferablyarranged in a longitudinal series and in accordance with this inventionall on the'same level. The first two units and a portion of the thirdunit and the last unit of the series are illustrated resting upon asuitable base 1. This base is conveniently located in a depression belowthe main floor level 2, and suitably drained.

The cloth 3, which is preferably handled in rope form, is shown as takenfrom a truck 4 on the main floor, and after passing through the seriesof units discharged into a receiving truck 5 also placed on the mainfloor.

The cloth in its travel leads over a guide roll 6 between the squeezerolls 7 and 8 of the first unit, over a driven guide roll 9, and thencedown on to the curved bottom 10 of the tank, thence upward over a guideroll 11, again through the squeeze rolls, and repeats its path in spiralform, finally emerging from the squeeze rolls and passes through asuitable mechanism, indicated generally at 12,

for controlling the feed of the cloth, and then continues in a similarmanner through the other units of the series and discharges directlyfrom the squeeze rolls of the last unit into the truck or otherreceptacle.

Each unit of the series is of similar construction and comprises asuitable tank framework 13 with the usual curved bottom 10 of the liquidreceptacle portion. The guide roll 11 is journaled in bearings 14mounted on the inclined portions of the wall at the entering end of thetank. The shaft 15 of the lower squeeze roll 8 is journaled in bearings16 mounted on the side walls of the frame, while the shaft 17 of theupper squeeze roll 7 is journaled at each end in a lever 18. One end ofthese levers is pivoted at 19 in supports 20 mounted on the frame, andthe other end is pivoted at 21 to a piston 22 mounted in a cylinder. 23secured to the frame. Thus by introducing or exhausting air through orfrom the pipes 24 connected to the ends of the cylinder the uppersqueeze roll may be held with any required degree of pressure againstthe lower squeeze roll.

In this construction the lower squeeze roll 8 and the guide roll 9 aredriven to feed the cloth. The roll 9 is preferably of a ribbedconstruction comprising a series of bars 25 extending between its heads.For thus feeding the cloth there is provided an electric motor 26, shownas mounted on a base 27, supported from the main floor 2. This motor isshown driving a chain 28 extending to a large sprocket 29 on the shaft15 of the lower squeeze roll, while the roll 9 is shown as driven by achain 30 from a sprocket on the shaft 15.

The cloth in its repeated passage from the roll 9 down into the tank, upover the guide roll 11, and through the squeeze rolls in spiral form, ismaintained separated by the usual separating and stop motion fingers 31shown pivotally mounted at 32 and raised by clogging of the cloth tobreak an electric contact at 33. or make an elec 3 tric contact at 3'4,and thereby effect the stopping of the feed;

As already noted the most important feature of the invention, results inthepositioning of the. several units of the series all on the samelevel,thus eliminating the. disadvantages of a gravity feed of. the liquidfromone tank to the other. liquid in each tank to be maintained asdesired and, under ordinary conditions, a continuous flow. of theliquidto. and from the last unit through all the preceding. units of theserles.

The tank in each unit is divided by an adjustable-vertical partitioninto a main washing chamber andan auxiliary chamber. A preferred form ofthis construction is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 where is shown the verticallefthand wall 35 of the metal tank and one of the sidewalls 36. Avertical metal plate 37 extends across, between and is united to theseside walls, and forms the lower portion ofrthe partition, dividing thetank into the auxiliary chamber 38 at. the left of the partition and themain washing chamber at the right. The upper portion of the partition isa vertically adjustable section shown as a plate 39 having a tophorizontal flange 40. This plate at each edge slides in a groove formedby angle irons 41v and 42 secured to the side walls of the tank. Theadjustable section 39 is held in desired vertical position by suitablemeans, such as pins 43, passing through holes in the angle'irons and theplate. The pin 43 preferably is bent to form a handle and a small crossbar 44 is mounted diametrically in the pin. When the pin is in placethis bar extends behind theflange of the angle iron 42 to prevent thepin from slipping out. The top edge or flange portion 40 of thevertically adjustable section determines the level of the liquid in themain washing chamber of the tank. Preferably the upper portion of thisadjustable section 39 is provided as shown with a plurality of holes 45so that, if the feed of the cloth.

is stopped and the flow of water into the tank continues, there will bea discharge of the water through these holes sufficient to prevent thecloth from being carried over the top edge 40 of the section.

The water or washing liquid is supplied to the main washing chamber ofeach tank from a box 46 mounted at the upper edge and flows therefromover the upper edge 47 of the metal bottom of the tank against a batfle48 into the main washing chamber 49. This liquid is supplied to the box46 of the last unit of the series from any suitable source.

A pipe 50 connects the lower portion of the auxiliary chamber of eachtank of the series to the main washing chamber of the preceding tank andsuitable pumping means connected to each of these pipes maintains theflow through the entire series. Each pipe 50 with its interposed pump 51runs from the lower portion of the auxiliary chamber 38 of each tank upto the water box 46 of the preceding tank. The pump. employed in eachcase is, preferably of the low head impeller type andindependentlydriven by its own motor. As shown in Fig. the motors 52 for the pumpsare mounted upon supports 53 n turn mounted on the floor 2 at the sideof the unit and are connected by a suitable belt 59 or other drive tothe shaft 55 of the pump. With this type of pump water flowing into theauxiliary chamber from the main washing chamber is readily pumped intothe preceding unit and even when water is exhausted in the auxiliarychamber there is little wastage of power. This type of pump re.- quireslittle change or adjustment after once set up. If the head at thesuction side becomes very low the pump will simply rotate harmlessly. Ifthis head builds up the net head, of course, decreases and the capacityof the pump correspondingly increases. Thus any rate of flow is takencare of by the pump.

Means are provided for supplying additional liquid whenever needed toany one. of the units and for that purpose cold water pipes 56 and hotwater pipes 57 are The invention also enables the level of the:

shown located in the base 1, see Fig. 3, with risers 58 extending up tothe water boxes 46.

The auxiliary chamber is provided at the outer wall with an overflowconduit 64 opening into the auxiliary chamber at the required level anddischarging at the bottom into the base. In addition, at the side of theauxiliary chamber there is provided a controllable overflow to enableany desired amount of water to be drained out, see Figs. 5, 6, and 7,consisting ofa conduit 65 secured to the side wall opening near its topand bottom into the auxiliary chamber and provided at the, bottom with adischarge opening 66 normally closed by a valve 67 secured to a verticalrod 68 connected at the top to a manually operated lever 69 by means ofwhich the discharge opening 66 may be opened and closed as desired.

Each unit, or at least the earlier units of the series, is provided witha suds box 70 attached to the side of the frame to collect the soap orcleansing solution extracted from the cloth by the squeeze rolls. Atrough formed by the plates 71v and 72 is mounted beneath the squeezerolls, slopes toward and opens into the suds box at 73. The suds box isprovided with an opening 74 at the bottom and at its side opens into aconduit 75 connected to the overflow conduit 65. A damper 76 operated bya handle 77 enables the solution entering the suds to be diverted eitherinto the conduit 75 or through the opening 74. In the latter case thesolution is drained away while in the former case it enters the overflowconduit and from there the auxiliary chamber and is consequently pumpedback into the preceding unit for reuse.

The invention also provides for. controlling the speed of the cloth atvarious stages in the operation. With. a series of units with a motorfor each unit acting to feed the cloth therethrough, one of these motorsis a leading motor, and the motors of the other units are synchronizedtherewith. This leading motor may be either that for the first unit, orfor the last unit, or even, under certain circumstances, that for anintermediate unit. Consequently the speed of the cloth delivered fromany one unit may regulate either the speed of the feed of that unit orthe speed of the feed of the succeeding unit. In the arrange, mentillustrated it is assumed that the leading motor is that for the lastunit and consequently that the speed of the cloth leaving each unit isregulating the speed of feed of the unit it is leaving.

In this invention the vertical position of the cloth after it leaves aunit is utilized to. control the speed of the feed. This control may beeffected in various. ways, two of which are disclosed.

In the main form, generally illustrated at 12 in Fig. 1 and more indetail in Figs. 4 and 5, a freely vertically movable roll rests in aloop of the cloth and as this loop rises and falls with the roll from apredetermined nor.- mal position suitable mechanism operated by the rollacts. correspondingly to increase or decrease the speedand thus restoreit to the normal required speed.

In another form illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 a. pair of separatedelectric contacts are. mounted beneath the loop of cloth without anyroll or other weight resting on the loop. If the cloth is feeding toofast this loop of wet cloth sags against the contacts completing a veryweak electric circuit which then acts through suitable electronic meansto effect a momentary reduction in the feeding speed. This mechanism isso adjusted that the loop of wet cloth is constantly closing and openingthe contacts. and thus maintaining they required normal speed.

r the roll 83 and thence over the roll 82; to the, next. unit.

At the top of the framework is journaled at 86 a rotarily mountedrheostat 87 preferably of the single plate type. This rheostat hassecured thereto a sprocket wheel 88 connected by a sprocket chain 89 toa sprocket wheel 90 on a shaft 91 journaled in the framework 80 andcarrying pulleys 92. Counterweights 93 for the roll 83 are connectedthereto by belts or chains 94 running over the pulleys 92. Thus as theloop of cloth running around the roll 83 rises and falls as the speedincreases or decreases the angular position of the rheostat changes. Themotor 26, as is common in textile mills, is a direct current motor andthe rheostat through suitable connections, indicated diagrammatically at95, by varying the resistance regulates the field strength of the motorand thus controls its speed. V

In the construction shown in Figs. and 11 a framework is providedconnecting adjacent units having the uprights 100 and 101 and thesupported platform 102. A roll 103 is journaled at 104 and driven by abelt or chain 105 from the driven roll 9. A second roll 106 is journaledat 107 on the platform. The cloth 1 after leaving the squeeze rolls ofthe tank passes over the roll 103 and thence over the roll 106 saggingin a loop between as indicated and then passes to the next unit. As thespeed of the feed varies from the normal the loop of cloth rises andfalls. The platform is provided with a pair of spaced electric contacts108 and 109 with a space between located opposite the center of the loopof cloth. These contacts are in circuit with a very weak source 110 ofelectric energy and an electronic controlling mechanism 111 which inturn controls a resistance 112 in the field circuit 113 of the motro,the latter elements being indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 10. Thesagging loop of cloth is, of course, Wet, and when it sags to engageboth contacts 108 and 109 it completes the circuit and momentarily actsto reduce the speed of the motor. As the speed decreases the loop ofcloth moves away from and separates the contacts, the resistance ischanged, and the motor speeds up. Thus there is a continual making andbreaking of the circuit by the engagement and disengagement of the clothwith the contacts and the consequent maintaining of the required normalspeed of the motor. The advantage of this is that no strain or weight isplaced upon the cloth and as the electric circuit through the contactsis very weak there is no danger of injury to the cloth.

While, in the two constructions described for controlling the speed offeed of the cloth by the vertical position of the loop of cloth, aresistance in the field circuit of a direct current motor is employed,the invention in its broader aspects is not restricted to the latterfeature nor even to the employment of a direct current type of motor andother suitable means electrical, mechanical or a combination of both maybe employed for controlling the speed of the motor.

With the form of control illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 the cloth afterleaving the roll 106 is preferably subjected to a light tension beforeentering the next unit. A construction for this purpose is illustratedin Figs. 10 and 11. The tension device is shown as a pair of disks 114connected by pins 115 and journaled in the uprights 101 and providedwith an operating handle 116. The cloth after leaving the roll 106passes between the pins 115 around a suitable guide roll 117 at thebottom of the uprights 101 and therefrom enters the next unit. Byrotating the disks 114 by means of the handle 116 any desired degree oftension may be placed upon the cloth. A graduated plate 118 is mountedon the upright 101 and the handle 116 is provided with a plunger toengage this graduated plate and hold the tension device in the desiredrotary adjusted position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for the continuous washing of cloth comprising a seriesof similar open tanks mounted on the same level, a vertical partitionlocated within each tank and extending transversely thereof and dividingit into a main washing chamber located at one end of the tank and anauxiliary chamber located at the other end thereof, said partitiondetermining the level of the liquid in the main chamber, a box at thefirst named end of each tank exterior thereto and opening into the mainchamber the reef above the water level therein, pipes connecting thelower portion of the auxiliary chamber of each tank of the series to thebox of the preceding tank, pumping means connected to each of saidpipes, means for supplying hot water to each box, means for supplyingcold water to each box, and means for continuously feeding the clothsuccessively through the tanks of the series beginning with the first.

2. An apparatus for the washing of cloth comprising a tank, a verticalpartition dividing the tank into a main washing chamber and an auxiliarychamber, squeeze rolls for the cloth mounted above the main chamber, apipe extending from the lower portion of the auxiliary chamher forconnection to a preceding tank, pumping means connected to said pipe, asuds box having a drainage opening, means for directing the liquidexpressed by the squeeze rolls into the suds box, a conduit connectingthe suds box to the auxiliary chamber, and a damper in the suds boxmovable to direct the liquid entering the suds box either to thedrainage opening or into the conduit.

3. An apparatus for the washing of cloth comprising a tank, a verticalpartition dividing the tank into a main washing chamber and an auxiliarychamber, squeeze rolls for the cloth mounted above the main chamber, apipe extending from the lower portion of the auxiliary chamber andconnecting to a preceding tank, pumping means connected to said pipe, asuds box on the exterior of the tank and having a drainage opening, atrough beneath the squeeze rolls leading to the suds box and adapted toreceive the liquid expressed from the cloth by the squeeze rolls anddeliver said liquid to the suds box, a conduit connecting the suds boxto the auxiliary chamber, and a damper in the suds box movable to directthe liquid entering said box either to the drainage opening or into theconduit.

4. An apparatus for the washing of cloth comprising a tank, a verticalpartition located interiorly of the tank and dividing it into a mainwashing chamber and an auxiliary chamber, said partition being composedof a lower fixed section and an upper vertically adjustable section toadjust the liquid level in the main chamber, means for feeding cloththrough the main chamber, and means for feeding liquid into the mainchamber, said adjustable section of the partition being perforated toprevent the cloth from being carried thereover by the liquid when thefeed of the cloth through the main chamber is stopped and liquidcontinues to be fed into said main chamber.

5. An apparatus for the washing of cloth comprising a tank, a verticalpartition located interiorly of the tank and dividing it into a mainwashing chamber and an auxiliary chamber, said partition being composedof a lower fixed section and an upper vertically adjustable section toadjust the liquid level in the main chamber, means for feeding cloththrough the main chamber, means for feeding liquid into the mainchamber, a vertically extending overflow conduit exterior to the tankand opening into the auxiliary chamber both near its top and near itsbottom, said overflow conduit having a discharge opening at lts bottom,a valve for said discharge opening and means for operating the valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS300,010 Riley June 10, 1884 978,883 Heberlein Dec. 20, 1910 1,687,339Lewellen Oct. 9, 1928 1,698,778 Clark Jan. 15, 1929 1,825,478 RowleySept. 29, 1931 1,965,694 Drum et al July 10, 1934 2,157,287 Furbush May9, 1939 2,521,440 Bannon Sept. 5, 1950

